Lost & Found: A Teenage Girl's 1920s/1930s Scrapbook

I purchased this scrapbook at an auction circa 2017. It was evidently put up for auction by the lone descendant of the person who created the scrapbook, June Leavitt. June spent her early life in Denver before moving to California as a young teen. She graduated from junior high in 1930, so she was probably around 14-18 years old when she curated these items, although it appears she also stuck in a few of her 1920s childhood papers. 

If you're interested in the 1920s & 1930s, southern California history, or both -- check this out!

You can see the cover has taken on some water damage over the years. Partly for that reason, I did end up opening this scrapbook and saving what could be saved.

 

If it couldn't be saved, I just took photos...

 

Fantastic Names From The Past: 1930 Southern California Edition

These are actual names of students from John Burroughs Junior High School in Burbank, California. The year was 1930.

Mercelia Crutcher

Constance F. Chalmers

Marjorie Eugenia Cobb

Blossom A. Wise

Emily Escalanti

Howard Zieve

Elna Leone Noyes

Berna O'Harra

Irving Perluss

Lee Ora Funk

Dawn Adelee Yeend

Margie Marie Feigenbaum

Rollin Franklin

Gordon Gilbert Philp

Laurette Clair

Orville Holmes Joy, Jr.

Pearl Gold

Maynard C. Hathaway

Janet Powers Knox

Ray O. Hundertmark

Russelind Ann Conley

Larry Longnecker

J. Raymond Medberry

Isabel A. Moorhead

Murray Louis Rudnick

 Edith Iris Anderani

Irving L. Ashkenas

Raynelle Bell

Sydney Lucile Brough

Dorothy May Day

Madalon Culver

Justin J. Slaff

Sherman Slade

Frances B. Skinner

And here are my choices for the
Top 10 Fantastic Names Of 1930...

10. Marcella deVere Whelan

9. Grover Gail Gilmore

8. Agnes McNair Early

7. Idale H. Goodfriend

6. J. Hewes Crispin

5. Eunice Pearl Gill

4. Violette Marcivna Rightman

3. William LaTouche Gair

2. Bond Pfeifer

and

1. Rhodin Hord Scudder

And (for the first time!) we have a new category, Most UNfantastic Name, which this time around goes to...

Newell Ballreich

May you rest in peace.

For many more lists of Fantastic Names From The Past, click here!

Fantastic Names From The Past: 1976 California Edition

1976: The war (well... one of 'em) was over, the Times were Good, and these groovy California kids were sporting fantastic names...

Betty Bevilaqua

Theresa Caffese

Mario Arroyo

 Izabel Aghazarian

Yolanda Calderon

Vollie Calloway

Karen Kalander

Bobbie Bass

Dwayne Kite

Sally Sepulveda

Armando Alonzo

Theodosia Benjamin

Randy Cantaloupi

Sienna Scaletta

Chipo Chambers

Paula Presto

Claude Chauveau

Bud Sanguinetti

Hugh Hui

Dierdre O'Farrell

Eddie Lucchesi

Antonia Noble

Beth Petzinger

Damon Pombo

Alide Ponsi

Rena Quitiquit

Blake Samples

Virgilio Solis

Shanda Strawn

Tancie Treadway

And My Choices For the Top Three Fantastic Names of 1976..

3. Pape Padeselaux

2. Adelbert Eggleston

and

1. Yola Volpi

I hope at least some of you make it to your 50th Reunion in 2026!

Fantastic Names From The Past: 1923-1968 Fantastic Names Roundup!

Over the past few months, I've come across many fantastic names in old yearbooks and college course materials, but I didn't have enough for an entire blog post. But when the years are united -- behold the range of fantasticness! From the roaring twenties (R.I.P., y'all) to the swinging sixties (happy retirement, folks!) these people had great names -- and I can only hope they got to live corresponding great lives.

1923

Freeman Fike

Brown Metcalf

Blanche Root

1925

Viola Vontana

Forrest La Violette

Naomi McNish

Manota Marohn

Jolly Pratt

Elvira Steel

Almabelle Verrelmann

Alice Casebeer

1955

(These names came out of a college course directory and are mostly the names of professors and staff)

Erret E. Hummel

Clark P. Spurlock

Howard Impecoven

Judah Bierman

Merl E. Bonney

Charles Brightbill

Karlin M. Capper-Johnson

Carl E. W. L. Dahlstrom

John O. Dart

Will Drum

Hoyt C. Franchere

Linnea Malmborg Garrison

George V. Guy

Emerson E. Hoogstraat

Iredell Jenkins

Leora F. LaRiviere

Herold Lillywhite

Morton S. Malter

Lilla Belle Pitts

Frank B. Queen

Warren W. Wilcox

Bernard Mainwaring

Leif S. Finseth

Elden E. Breedlove

Laird C. Brodie

E. Hugh Hinds

Leora Fuller Lariviere

Loyal D. Nelson

Egbert S. Oliver

Ellison Rulon Taylor

Harvey A. Trout

Herbert A. Bork

Bessie Gwyneth Tressler

Viron Alonzo Moore

1968

Sandy Asher

Ingo Braker

Bobbett Dunn

Zenobia Hammons

Orla Oleson

Winona St. Helen

Selby Shook

Patty Wack

Loadice Walker

Neisa Yaws

Reid Bloom

Mary Blossom

Paulette Cerruti

Cammy Coble

Dian Froseth

Helen Hughart

Jere Greer

Janet Jump

Debby Kappy

Hedda Klimp

John Leaptrott

Vangie Margellos

Firella McGee

Mary Melody

Wanda Zogg

Manon Whitcher

Willie Mae White

Nancy Sandblast

Gary McGrew

Rosemary Bloom

Ina Carr

Meredith McMenemy

For hundreds more fantastic names, click here!